Blogs from Tokyo, Japan, Asia - page 218

Aargh, I had typed about a full page (am still a two finger typist so this takes me a while) and then lost it all by using the back and forward buttons on the browser- why does that only happen to me when I have just done a marathon typing session? Anyway I am setting this blog up in anticipation of spending most of December and perhaps all of February on holiday- the first week of December back in NZ for Mum's wedding, a week back in Tokyo working, then leaving for Delhi on the 14th, meeting Toru who will have left for India the same day I leave for NZ and is planning to spend the intervening 2 weeks in Rishikesh, and then joining the Intrepid Delhi to Kathmandu Overland trip on the 16th. The ... read more

I went to my fourth or fifth Dali museum today in Tokyo (as I have at least been to the ones in Florida, London, and Paris as well as possibly one more in the US). I felt really sophisticated as I felt like many of the people there knew next to nothing of my beloved Dali. Afterwards I went to a half okay restaurant for ramen and tempura and then to the bookstore. Unfortuantely I think I need to train myself not to read the comic books as I am reading one a day and at this rate I will read a couple series by the time I leave Japan. I really enjoyed them though. I bought two more comic books and then got my stuff fromt he hotel to go to the station in Nagoya. ... read more

People keep telling me that its the small things that you remember about your trips abroad. The colour of the phone in the hotel room. The smell of grilled squid in the alley beside the hostel. The ring of the mobile phone two seats back on a bus to another temple. Well, I thought that was a bit sad. I wanted to have a full day in Tokyo that I would never forget. Everywhere has neon. Everywhere has tall buildings and girls dressed as Mary Hadalittlelamb. I wanted something just plain old weird. A day of nonsensical nonsensry. Fortunately for me, so did our good friend Will. So we put our combined brain powers to use and produced a plan. We weren't sure if some of these places exsited. We'd heard stories, we'd read books, but ... read more

Tokyo, wow what a lovely place, full of lovely people Spent probably about a week in Tokyo trying to explore as much as possible, but perplexing and beguiling I found Tokyo to be a city that comfounds simple translation. With a really low crime rate and really freindly helpful people I couldn't stop myself from liking this city with its bumper-to-bumper traffic and and packed in 12 million people. I visited many places such as Asakusa and the buddist temple Senjo-Ji, Ueno, home to a famous Japanese park that I walked through on a lovely sunny day and saw numerous staues and temples (Including the Great Saigo), and of course Ueno Zoo. Also Meiji-Jingu where I was able to escape from the busy city into the grounds of Tokyo's most venerable Shinto shrine. The Imperial Palace ... read more

...Women stabbing men with their umbrellas...(more on this, keep reading) The nightclub was a major success! I emailed the DJ to enquire about tickets, whether they were sold out or where we could buy them once we reached Tokyo. And he emailed me back to tell me my name was put on his guest list for complimentary admission!! Wow. Take your favorite band/pop star/singer, now imagine they were playing a massive concert in a huge metropolitan city and you emailed them to ask about tickets. Now imagine that they emailed you back to tell you that you were on their personal guest list for complimentary admission. Yeah, WOW! We bypassed the line and got to enter through a special entrance, received special guest passes and were ushered through the door. A quick pat down, security unfortunately ... read more